Caster socket



AP i 2, 1930. w. F. HEROLD 1,755,322

CASTER SOCKET Filed Nov. 1926 VIIIII'I'J'I'I'II- VIII-II'A IN VEN TOR.

FHER/JLU.

f9 HALTLR 9T14g 49 47 BY W W ATTORNEK Patented Apr-. 22, 19 Q s-IE T F CE WALTER" I-IVERZQLZD, orfnrrnn ivron'rcLnm, EW JERSEY, Assrenon ro THE Base sIcK COMPANY; or smnenron'r, 'oonnncrrcunn conroaarroiv or comvnc'rrcc'r V Y oA's'rEn SOCKET,

' applicationfiled November 4,1926. Serial no. 146,123.

The present invention relates to improvements in caster sockets,-parti'cularly for use with articles 1 of furniture having" tubular metal legs, as hospital'beds, andthe like, and

intowhich the caster pintle is removably'in-' I 'serted and supported 'ina manner to 'have free pivotal movement about its vertical axis.- Heretofore such sockets have been held'in place within the leg by a friction fit,ythe' tightness of such fit being depended upon toretain it.- This has'proved unsatisfac' tory,however, inasm uch as the metal legs are usually cut olfin'such manner. that 'an'in i 2' turned edge or bur is formed atth'e base of the leg, so that, While the socket 'was tightly held by this edge it was prevented from en gagingcthe inner surfacefof the leg, and an.

insecure, wabbly fit resulted. Easy removal was practically impossible, due to this tight friction fit. Also there was considerable variation insize, due togthe tolerances obtaining in this type of "article, sothat it waspractically impossible to maintain uniform is proposed, in thepresent-invention,

therefore, to provide a socket including an auxiliary socket retaining spring means,- which will securely and reliably retain the r 2 socket in the leg, irrespective of the turning;

in of-theend of the leg, and variation in size, and which will permit the fullstrength of i the'metalofthesocket frameto be utilizedfor support between the pintle and the fur-g niture leg.

With the above and other objects in view,

embodiments of my (invention are shown in' the accompanying drawings, and these embodiments will be hereinafter more, fully described with reference thereto, and; the ina according to the presentemb odiment of' the invention; 7 -Y L Big. 2 isaffront; elevation of the same, a d

in the form of an indenture, pinched together ears 1 1 andY-at diametrically opposite sides Afurther object is to proyide such means which may be. convenientlyassembled with the socket, without greatly adding to its cost,

showing it inserted a tubular furniture i leg, the latter shown in section;

. Fig. 3. is avertical sectional v ewshowing the'assembled caster: and socket attached to;

the furniture leg;

1F ig. 4 is a'topplan View of the socket Fig. '5 is a bottom plan view thereof .s Fig. 6: is perspective view. showing. the

socketqbas'e, pintle retainingspring means,

and. socket retaining spring means-:=in separated-superimposed relation;

Fag; 71is a side elevatlon, of a socket, ac v "cording to a modified form of the-'inven' -ifi tion;

is a front elevation thereof, and .1 I

1 Referring to [the drawings, the caster.

-. socket, according to the present embodiment of the invention, is adaptedto'be-inserted in thetubularjmetal leg of post 10,. as-shown 7 r in Figs. 2 and. 3, the lower endof this leg beingusuallyturned in, as at 11, in practice, 7

stance, by sawing. e

due to the methodof cuttingoff, as for in- The zsocket ecomprlses a frame member formed from sheet metal'bent upon-itself and pressedto shape to provide a topbearing socket portion 12 havingacenter bearing 13 of-said top portion,-and side legs 16 'andi17, shouldered adj ac'ent the top portion, 2 and pressed to form portions of a: cylinder adapted to fit into theleg. At their lowervends" the legs are flanged'outwardly, as at 18 and 19, to form shoulders adapted tobe disposed beneath the endfof the leg, and bent down j wardly and inwardly, as at 20 and 21, to clampingly engage the periphery of a circular base disc 22, thisdisc being centrally apertured, as at 23, to receive the caster pintle. Upon this base are assembled the pintle retaining 'means and the socket retaining'SPring member. I 3 9' a he socket retaining spring memberconsists of a circular base 24 of smaller diameter than the disc 22, rovided with a central ape' ture 25 slightl iarger than the aperture23 7 their upper ends.

of the disc 22, and having upwardly extending, outwardly inclined-spring arms 26 and 27 bent therefrom at diametricallyopposite sides, said arms being curved inwardly at The base 24 is adapted to be engaged upon the base-22 in concentric relation, Withthe spring arinsdisposed in the spaces between the side legs of the. socket frame, and projecting at each side to an eX- tent greater than the inner diameter ofthe furnituredeg; Registeringslots 28, 29 and 30, 31 are provided in the bases 24 and 22 for the purpose of securing the pintle retaining" means to the base 22, as will presently more fully appear, the spring member being interposed at its base between said means' and said base 22, and thus-assembled and secured.

' The pintleretaining means comprises a cupmember 32 having a central opening 533 in line with the aperture 23, and secured by projecting: lugs 33 and 34; inserted through the slots-of the bases 24 and 22 and bentgover upon theunder surface of the-base 22 Within 'this'cup member there is loosely engaged and-retained asplit spring ring 35 having-fan" inner diameter smaller than that ofthe openings 23- and 25, and an'outer diameter smaller 7 than the inner diameter of the cup member,

this spring adapted to yieldingly retainthe Caster p l as will presently margin-11 appear. 4 r

The detachable caster consists ofthe usuai horn 36, having a caster wheel37 rotatably carried therein upon an axle 38, and having .a pintle 39. secured in'its upper transverse portion; thelovver end ofthe pintle having a flange orshoulder. 40 engagingzthe upper surface of the horn. Atits upper endthe pintle is provided With a central recessi tl adapted to rotatably engage the-topibearing 13 of the socket frame. The diameter of the pintle is such that it will xexpand the ring 35 and be frictionally held thereby against droppingout of the leg, the ring-being-snugly." held about the pintleand bein i freelyrro,

tatable Within the cupmember 32;

The-socket is insertedin the 1eg as shown 7 in Figs. 2 and- 3, the spring armsexpanding againsttheinner surface thereoffabove' the lower end, so'that even With a veryvdecided turning in of, the leg end the springs Willsecurel'yiand reliably retain the socket; The socket may, on occasion, he alo'osefit in the leg, but Will b e'secure'ly retained by the spring 7 arms. 1

The manner I of supporting: the pintle re taliningspringl ring independently of the socket frame, andthe provisionzof the auxiliary. socket retainingrspring means permits the frame to i be formed from-one piece; :of any desired thickness, form,':metal characters istics, or strength, without weakening-it or adapting its form bytheattachment or for'- mation therein of pintle and socket retain-F ingen1eans,==so-' that 'the full' strength of the ent is r I r r 1-. In-acaster frame member may beutilized for forming a support between the pintle and the furniture le I r in Figs; 7-and 8 I' have illustrated a modification, invvhich the socket retaining spring means consists of a spring-:Wire comprising a transverse top portion 42;--disposed' over the top of the socket frame, inwardly bent attachment portions 43 and 44 inserted Within and clamped by the earportions 14 and-15,

"and downward-1y extending outwardly curved spring arm portions 45 and 46 adapted to function in a similar manner to the spring arms of the first described embodiment.

of said bases; are clamped" by the; flanges 20- and 21 of the socket framem'e'mber; Inthe detached relation of the I caster pintle, the under surface ofthe recessS-f may for-m a slide to engage directly upon -the--floor'.- 7

' I have; illustrated and described preferred and satisfactory. embodiments of the invention, but it i will be obvious that changes may; be-m'ade therein, Within thespirit-a'nd scope "thereof, as defined in the "appended claims;

Having thus described myinventionywhat I; claim--and desire to secure-by Letters'Pa-t' to be inserted in an openingsin a furniture leg,- or the -lijke, and including; atop-pintle bearing portiorrand spaced sidelegportions, an aperturedbase portion connected to said frame pintle retainingspring vmeans carried by said'base portion, and spring means-dis posed inthe spaces betweensaid sideleg portions adapted to frictionally engage the inner surface of said leg to retainsaid frame therein p 1 1 ,1 i

-2.' In acaster socket, a socket frame'adapt ed tobe inserted in an opening in a furniture socket, a socket fr ame fadapted leg, or the like", an apertured 'base 'portion connected to said frame, and spring means for. retalning said frame in th'e leg, co1npris-' ing a basep0rt5ion secured upon said aper V tured base and spring arm portions bent-'up Wardly from said base adapted to frictionallyenga-ge'the i-nn'er sur-face' o'f said leg.

. 3.. In -a castert'socknasocketframe adaptq ed to be inserted in an'opening a furniture legs orkther likeg an aperturedi base portion I connected to said frame, pintle retaining;

7, means carried by said base portion, and spring means carried by said base portion adapted to frictionally engage the inner. surface of said leg to retain the frame therein. r

4. Ina caster socket, a socket frame adapted to be inserted in an opening in a furniture leg, or the like, an 'apertured base portion connected to said frame; pintle retaining f 170 means carried by sa1d base portlon comprlsing an apertured cup member secured to said base portion and a split springring loosely disposed and retained in said cup member, and'spring means for retaining said frame 15 in 'thel g, comprising a base Pmtion inter v posed and secured between. said cup member and said apertured base, and spring arm portions bent upwardly from said base adaptedt-o frictionally engage the inner surface 20 of said leg. V 1 7 Signed at Bridgeport,-in the county of Fairfield,-and State of Connecticut; this'22nd i 7' day of October, 1926.

-WALTER .HEROLD. 

